Pasta Berruto

More generally, the Mediterranean diet, but pasta in particular, is a sustainable and planet-friendly food thanks to a minimal environmental impact.

It is good and it is good for you, but that's not all.

Pasta is also a sustainable food for the planet. Unfortunately, we are living in a period in which climate change and emissions into the air jeopardize the future of the globe. We must be aware that what we eat affects the health of the ecosystem. A few tricks are enough to make pasta consumption even more sustainable and we have listed them.

These are 7 very simple tips to know how we can directly intervene to limit the environmental impact of pasta. You should know that during the cooking phase, the least sustainable moment of the entire cycle as it impacts about 38% of the total carbon footprint throughout the entire supply chain.

1 THE POT Choose a large pot, pour a sufficient amount of water inside, but not too much. This will save you time to boil it. Cover the pot with a lid to reduce cooking times.

2 THE OVEN Prevents the oven from preheating. Do not open it frequently during cooking and turn it off a few minutes before the end: in this way you will make the most of the heat generated.

3 THE TIME Read on the package the recommended times for a correct cooking of the pasta. Longer times would mean unnecessary waste of gas or electricity.

4 THE TOOLS To cut or chop vegetables, or grate cheese, use non-electric tools. You will thus save energy and be more eco-sustainable.

5 SALT Add salt only when the water begins to boil. Salt, in fact, tends to slow down the heating process and therefore the boiling of liquids. Or you can also add it only in the sauce to fully appreciate the flavor of the pasta.

6 ADVANCED PASTA Do not throw away the leftover pasta. The leftovers from the day before can turn into a delicious flan or a fantastic timbale.

7 PASSIVE COOKING Turn off the heat halfway through cooking. Covering the still boiling water with a lid, the pasta will continue to cook even when the heat is off.

According to the latest Aidepi sustainability report, since 2008 water consumption has decreased by about 20%, recovered waste is about 95% of the total and the corresponding carbon dioxide (CO2) emission has decreased by 21%. about. In this way, the environmental impact of pasta, from production to processing to consumption, is decidedly low: 1 sqm overall (i.e. the extent of the biologically productive area of ??sea and land necessary to regenerate the resources consumed during production. ) per serving of pasta and its ecological footprint is minimal, just 150 grams of CO2 equivalent.

Also with regard to water consumption, pasta is at the forefront. A plate of pasta with tomato sauce or baked lasagna also means making a sustainable choice: a pasta factory, in fact, uses no more than three liters of water to produce a kilo of pasta. The traditional production techniques used by farms today have a limited environmental impact and excellent quality yield. Wheat cultivation marginally affects the total carbon dioxide emissions, only for 37%. The same is true for packaging, (6% CO2) which is made up of immediately recyclable materials such as cardboard or classic plastic film. Even during the creation of the packaging (the package of pasta) the consequences on the environment are reduced: industrial transformation, including milling, is below 15% of CO2 emissions. Distribution also cuts out a minimum share (4%) of the carbon footprint of the packet of pasta.

This content is part of the #PastaYourWay project stories of sustainability and social inclusion